Buttery Upside-Down Cake with Fresh Mango and Candied Ginger

Source: American Butter Institute

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pitted, peeled, and (3/4 inch) cubed
    ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and (3/4 inch) cubed
    ripe pineapple (about 1/2 small pineapple)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mango, pineapple, brown sugar and rum. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and bubbling. Cool until tepid.

Sift together flour, baking powder, ginger and salt, and set aside. Beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract. On low speed, add the flour in three additions, alternating with two additions of the milk and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula.

Arrange the fruit in a single layer in the pan, sprinkle with the candied ginger, and pour the syrup over all. Sprinkle with the pecans. Spread the batter evenly over the fruit.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Invert and unmold onto a large serving platter. (If any pieces of fruit stay in the pan, just remove them and arrange them in their place on the cake.) Pour any juices in the pan over the cake. Serve warm or completely cooled, with the ice cream.

Makes 12 servings